Collapsible table



May 22, 1956 c. A. SAND 2,746,823

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed Feb. 24, 1955 IN V EN TOR. MJL A S34/v0ATTORNEYS.

United tates Patent() COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Carl A. Sand, Cincinnati, Ohio,assignor to The Brunhot Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application February 24, 1955, Serial No. 490,172

6 Claims. (Cl. 311-116) My invention relates to stands or tables andmore particularly to a collapsible structure wherein the leg members maybe readily attached and detached without the use of screws, bolts orcomparable fastening means.

While my structure will find utility wherever a table o1` stand isrequired, it is particularly suited for use as an inexpensive televisiontable or as a display stand for air conditioning units and similararticles of merchandise.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a table or standstructure wherein the leg members are formed from metal rods joinedtogether in units and adapted to coact with rod receiving brackets onthe under side of the table top or top forming frame to secure the partstogether in interlocking relationship.

A further object of my invention is the provision of leg units of thecharacter described wherein the free ends of each unit are adequate tobe received in sleeve-like brackets, with an intermediate portion ofeach leg unit engaged in a hook-like bracket disposed at right angles tothe sleeve-like brackets, the arrangement of parts being such that theengagement of the intermediate portion of the unit with the hook-likebracket requires the intermediate portion to be sprung inwardly with theresult that the intermediate and end portions of the unit, when engagedin their respective brackets, exert oppositely directed forces acting tomaintain the parts in engagement with the bracket means.

These as well as other objects of my invention which will appearhereinafter or which will be apparent to the skilled worker in the artupon reading this specilication, I accomplish by that construction andarrangement of parts of which l shall now describe an exemplaryembodiment.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away illustrating atable construction in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view with underlined parts in dotted lines of thetable of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view with alternate positions of the leg memberillustrated in broken lines, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view with parts in dotted linesillustrating the manner in which one of the leg units engages thebracket members secured to the table top or supporting frame.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the leg members.

Referring first to Figures l and 2 of the drawings, l have thereinillustrated a table or stand comprising a frame 1 to which are connectedleg members Z, 3, 4 and 5. In the embodiment illustrated the frame 1comprises opposed frame members 6 and 7 having their ends steppeddownwardly, as at 8, to provide seats for the transverse frame members 9and 10, the frame members thus de- "ice ning a planar supportingsurface. Preferably the frame members will be formed from metal stripssuitably spot welded together, as at 11; or they may be formed from woodor other suitable materials, the frame members being suitably joinedtogether to form a rigid frame. Where the structure is to be used tosupport a television set or as a display stand for an air conditioningunit or the like, it is generally unnecessary to provide anythingfurther in the way of a supporting platform. However, it is within thespirit of my invention to provide a solid top, indicated at 12, whichmay be supported on the frame 1. It is also within the spirit of myinvention to replace the frame with a solid top member in instanceswhere a supporting platform is required; and it will be understood inthe description which follows that the term trame is intended toencompass both open frames and solid tops. Where the top 12 is to beformed from glass, slate or marble, an underlying frame, such as theframe 1, will be utilized to mount the brackets in which the leg membersare received; whereas if the top 12 is formed from wood or metal, itwill be apparent that the leg receiving brackets may be secured directlyto the undersurface ol the top.

Referring now to Figure 6 of the drawings, the leg members 2, 3, 4 and 5will be identical, being formed from suitable lengths of rod stock bentto form a V-shaped leg composed of reversely bent leg portions 13 and14, the leg portions terminating at their upper ends in horizontallydisposed projections 15 and 16, respectively, the projections 15 and 16extending at substantially right angles to each other.

ln order to obtain the desired locking action between` the legs andtheir brackets, the individual leg members are connected together intoleg units. Thus the leg members 2 and 3 are joined by means of a sleeve17 surround ing and joining together the projections 15 and 16 of legmembers 3 and 2, respectively, to form one leg unit. A similar sleeve 18connects together the corresponding projections of the leg members 4-and 5, to form a second leg unit,

Opposed frame members 6 and 7 have elongated sleevelike brackets 19 and20 secured to their undersurfaces, the sleeve-like brackets beingadapted to receive the horizontally disposed projections 15 of legmembers 2 and 4 and the projections 1n of leg members 3 and 5. The framemembers 9 and 10, on the other hand, are provided with spaced apartpairs of hook-like brackets 2l, 22 and 23, 24. The brackets 21 and 22are spaced apart by a distance slightly in excess of the length of thesleeve 17; and similarly the brackets 23 and 24 are spaced apart by adistance slightly in excess of the length of sleeve 13. The hook-likebrackets open inwardly and are adapted to engage the exposed portions ofthe projections 15 and 16 lying 'beyond the sleeves 17 and 15.

In assembling the table, the leg unit comprising the leg members 2 and 3will iirst have the projection 15 of leg members 2 inserted in theadjacent end of the sleevelike bracket 20 and the projection 16 of legmember 3A will be similarly inserted in the adjacent end of bracket 19.When this has been done the remaining leg portions and theirprojections, which are connected together by the sleeve 17, will occupysubstantially the position shown in broken lines in Figure l, The legportions 13 and 14 of leg members 2 and 3 are then flexed or sprunginwardly beyond the hook-like brackets 21 and 22, whereupon the pressureon the leg portions is released sufficiently to permit the projections15 and 16 carried thereby to engage in the hook1ike brackets 21 and 22.The sleeve 17 will serve as a centering means since it is of a size to tbetween the brackets 21 and 22. The ilexing or springing action of theleg portions 13 and 14 of leg members 2 and 3 will be clearly apparentfrom Figure 3 of the drawings wherein the initiali position ofv the legportion 13 of leg member 3 is indicated at A, its inwardly deiiectedposition being indicated at B and its nal locked position indicated atC.

It wiil be understood that leg members 4 and 5, joined together as aunit by means of sleeve 18, will be engaged in brackets 19 and 26 andthen flexed inwardly in like manner so as to engage the projections 15and 16 of leg members 4 and 5 with the hook-like brackets 23 and 24.

Since, in effect, the leg members are compressed during their engagementwith the brackets, their normal tendency is to spring back to theirinitial position, i. e. the position A, and the forces so exerted servesto lock them tightly in the hook-like brackets. These forces also exertthemselves in the opposite direction, tending to more tightly urge theprojections into the sleeve-like brackets 19 and 20. The result is anextremely rigid mounting of the legs to the frame without the use ofnuts, bolts or other adjustable fastening means, At` the same time, theleg members may be readily removed by flexing them inwardly so as todisengage their intermediate portions from the hook-like brackets,whereupon the remaining projections may be withdrawn from thesleeve-like brackets.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in my inventionwithout departing from the spirit of it. For example, while I havedescribed the leg members as being formed from rod stock, it will beevident that tubular stock may be used. Having, however, described myinvention in an exemplary embodiment, what I desire to secure andprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible stand or the like comprising a frame forming asupporting surface, a pair of elongated sleevelike brackets extendingalong opposite sides of said. frame, hook-like brackets extending alongthe remaining sides of said frame, leg members adapted to be engaged insaid brackets, each of said leg members being formed from rod stockreversely bent to dene inner and outer leg portions, said outer legportions terminating in outwardly directed projections for engagement insaid sleeve-like brackets, and the inner leg portions terminating inoutwardly directed projections extending in substantially right anglesto said first named projections, said inner leg portions and said lastnamed projections being adapted to be sprung inwardly for engagementwith said hook-like brackets.

2. A collapsible stand or the like comprising a frame forming asupporting surface, a pair of elongated sleevelike brackets extendingalong opposite sides of said frame, hook-like brackets extending alongthe remaining sides of said frame, a pair of leg units adapted to beengaged in said brackets, each of said leg units comprising a pair oflegs formed from reversely bent rod stock and having inner and outer legportions, the outer leg portions of each unit having outwardly directedprojections for engagement in said sleeve-like brackets, the inner legportions of each unit being joined together and adapted to be sprunginwardly for engagement with said hook-like brackets.

3. A collapsible stand or the like comprising a frame detning asupporting surface, a pair of elongatedsleevelike brackets extendingalong opposite sides of said frame,

hook-like brackets extending along the remaining sides of said frame, apair of leg units adapted to be engaged in said brackets, each of saidleg units comprising a pair of leg members formed from reversely bentrod stock and having inner and outer leg portions, the outer legportions of each unit terminatingV in outwardly directed projections forengagement in said sleeve-like brackets, the inner leg portionsterminating in alignedprojections connected together by a sleeve, saidinner leg portions and the projections carried thereby beingladaptedtobe sprung inwardly for engagement with said hook-like brackets.

4. A collapsible stand or the like comprising a frame defining .asupporting surface, a pair of elongated sleevelike brackets extendingalong opposite sides of said frame, spaced apart pairs of hook-likebrackets extending along the remaining sides of said frame, a pair ofleg -units adapted to be engaged in said brackets, each of said leg unitcomprising a pair of leg members formed from reversely bent rod stockand having inner and outer leg portions, the outer leg portionsr of eachunit terminating in outwardly directed projections for engagement insaid sleeve-like brackets, the inner leg portions of each unitterminating in aligned projections extending in substantially rightangles to said first namedprojections and joined together by means of asleeve, the inner leg portions of each unit and the projections carriedthereby being adapted to be sprung inwardly for engagement With saidhook-like, brackets, said. sleeve beingof a size to just nicely tbetween the said spaced apart pairs of hooklike brackets, whereby saidsleeve serves as a centering means for said leg units.

5. In a collapsible stand or the like, a framedening a horizontallydisposed supporting surface, a pair' of elongated sleeve-like bracketsextending along the under surface of opposite sides of saidv frame,spaced apart pairs of hook-like brackets extending along the undersurface of the remaining sides of said frame, an opposed pair of legunits engaged in said brackets, each of said leg units comprising a pairof leg membersA formed from reversely bent rod stock and having innerand outer leg portions, the outer leg portions of each unit terminatingin outwardly directed projections engaged in the end of said sleeve-likebrackets, the inner leg portions of eachI unit terminating in alignedprojections extending atsubstantially right angles to said rst namedprojections and secured together by means of a sleeve, said inner legportions and the projections carried thereby being sprung inwardly andengaged in said hook-like brackets.

6. The structure claimed in claim 5' wherein said sleeves` having lengthsubstantially equal to the distanceA between the spaced apart pairs ofhook-like brackets, wherebyto form a centering means for said inner legportions and the projections carried thereby.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MarsilusMay 3, 19,55

